Ga magoya bayan Coventry City, dare na Juma'a a Emirates Stadium na nufin wani abu fiye da wasa na kwallon kafa kawai. Bayan shekaru 25 na rashin wasan gasar Premier League ta Ingila, ƙungiyar Frank Lampard ta buɗe yaƙinsu a Premier League da Arsenal — kuma, a cewar Lampard da kansa, suna nufin yin haka ba tare da wata tsoro ba.

"Ina son nuna ta hanyar ayyukanmu da yadda muke zuwa wasan cewa ba mu zo da wata tsoro ba," in ji Lampard kafin fara wasan. "Abin da ban so in ji bayan wasa da Arsenal — ko kowane ƙungiya irin wannan — shi ne nadama kan tsarinmu da cewa ba mu ba da komai ba. Idan za mu iya yin haka a matsayinmu na ƙungiya, to za mu yi gogayya a wannan gasar."

Ƙungiyar da ta dawo daga baƙin ciki

Hanyar dawowa ga Premier League ba ta da sauƙi kuma. A cikin shekarun da suka biyo bayan faduwarsu, an sanya Coventry City a cikin rugujewar kasuwanci a lokacin gwagwarmayar zafi da masu hannun jarin gidajen ajiyar kuɗi. Ƙungiyar ta fādi zuwa matakin huɗu, ta rasa fagen wasan, kuma ta shaida lokuta biyu na gudun hijira — da farko a Northampton, sannan a Birmingham — wanda ya gwada har ma da magoya bayan da suka fi aminci.

Kadan ne daga wajen Midlands suka ci gaba da yin bangaskiya. Ƙungiyar da ta kasance ɗaya daga cikin waɗanda suka kafa Premier League ta zama ƙungiyar da ke gwagwarmayar tsira, asalinta da wani bangare na magoya bayanta sun ɓaci saboda shekaru na rashin kwanciyar hankali. Kawai magoya baya na wani zamanin na iya tuna da John Sillett da nasarar FA Cup ta 1987 — lokacin ƙarshe da Coventry suka tsaya a saman kwallon kafa ta Ingila.

Rani na saka hannun jari mai tsanani

Amma daga waɗancan shekarun wahala, an gina wani abu. Coventry ta saka kusan fam miliyan 130 cikin ƙungiyarsu a wannan rani, tana kawo mafi tsadar dan wasan da suka taba sayen Caleb Yirenkyi tare da mai kiyaye gidan wuta Carl Rushworth daga Brighton da matashi mai cin wuta na Fenerbahce Sidiki Cherif. Kowanne daga cikin sabbi uku ya kai sama da fam miliyan 20, yana ƙara inganci da ƙarfin jiki ga ƙungiyar Lampard.

Lokacin dawowansu shima yana ɗauke da fata. Kakar wasa na 'yan shekarun da suka wuce sun kasance mawuyaci ga ƙungiyoyin da suka hau — ƙungiyoyin da suka hau duka a 2023/24 da 2024/25 sun saukaka nan da nan. Amma Sunderland da Leeds sun karya wannan yanayi a kakar wasan da ta wuce, suna nuna cewa daukar 'yan wasa da kyau tare da haɗin kan ƙungiya na iya isa don tsira.

Girman Lampard da gurzun Coventry

A shekarunsa 48, Lampard ya shigo cikin wannan rawa yana mai shiru fiye da yadda yake a lokutan damararsa a Chelsea a lokuta biyu, tsakanin kakar wasa ɗaya a Everton. Ya ba Coventry kambun Championship wasanni uku kafin ƙarshen kakar wasan da ta wuce, ƙungiyarsa ta zura ƙwallaye fiye da duk sauran abokan hamayya da aƙalla ƙwallaye 15 — nau'in wasan da ya walwala gasar duka.

Mikel Arteta na da rikodin da ya fi na Lampard a tarurrukan da suka wuce, yana ci gaba da rashin rashin nasara a takarar biyar tun da Chelsea ta Lampard ta doke Arsenal a 2019. Amma manajan Coventry na ɗebo ƙarfi daga waɗancan gogaggun abubuwa maimakon ƙuntata. "Bayan shiga cikin ƙalubale, mai kyau da mara kyau a aikin horarwa na, yana sanya ni a matsayi mafi kyau," in ji shi.

Lampard ya sanya hannu kan sabuwar kwangilar shekaru uku a watan Yunin da ya wuce, yana nuna sadakarsa ga aiki wanda ya zarce kakar wasa ɗaya. Coventry City, waɗanda suka taɓa zama ba tare da gida ba kuma aka rubuta sunansu daga lissafi, sun dawo Premier League — kuma wannan lokaci, suna nufin su zauna.